Fallout 4: Divergence
by Jaketheripper
Summary: What if the sole survivor wasnt the turning force for the entire commonwealth that he is in the game, what if each faction had its crucial driven asset? Also pardon the use of physical mutations but I feel like after you've maxed out several of your perk tree perks you should change a bit, mutate to explain the lack of death from getting shot in the face.
1. Chapter 1

Fallout 4: Divergence

The morning was cold and wet in the commonwealth as Blake woke from an uneasy slumber face down on the stone floor of Fort independence. sitting above him was a high ranking officer of the Minutemen, Preston Garvey who held a tray of food, "hey now, easy does it, you took quite the blow to the head." Blake struggled up on to his hands and knees to sit down and lean his back against the stone wall, "what the hell happened to everything?"

Blake has been having a very bad day, way back before the nuclear war that devastated the world, he was a soldier, discharged from the military with honors, he had a family, a wife and child, those had been taken from him when a man walked into the vault, shot his wife and kidnapped his son! All while he was five feet away frozen inside a cryo pod. As if that wasn't enough, when he got out of the vault he was caught between a rock and a hard place in a raider clash with the minutemen over the old vault entrance, he's lucky to be alive.

Preston looked him over, at his attire, the bright blue vault suit reading 111 on the back, "The General wants to talk to you, but he said you should eat first." He hands Blake the tray, which had a bunch of food he didn't recognize, "whats this?"

Preston pointed to each food item in turn, "that's a mutfruit, that's cooked Deathclaw meat, you'll forgive us if we have little more than salt, and that is corn on the cob, enjoy your meal, The General is in his office when you're done."

Preston got up and left, leaving Blake with his Odd smelling meat. After trying the meat, he decided that it was passable and ate the entire platefull of food, After he had finished, he walked through the fort, milling about looking for this office that Preston had referred to, when he walked out into the soggy, overcast sun, he saw who exactly the Minutemen were.

Buy and large Fort indipendence had been Rebuilt, all the damage that it was famous for before had been sealed up and repaired, within the fort and on the walls walked Men, women and robots in dark Blue uniform, all with that same logo on them somewhere, a musket crossed with a lightning bolt to shape an M. However there were also several other individual people that sat astride the wall looking outwards that he could only assume were Mercs.

"You're the Vault Dweller, I presume?" Blake turned to address the voice and was struck dumb in his tracks by a beautiful pair of brown doe eyes attatched to one of the most beautiful Hispanic women he had ever seen, she was young, stacked and curvy in a fit way with straight long brown hair that hid one of her eyes, she wore a simple short sleeveless Dress with home sewn cloth sleeves and homemade pants as well with combat boots on her feet,

Blake was at a complete loss for words as his eyes roved over her body, The woman sighed, "The Name's Britania Haldis. My Husband wants to see you, and keep your eyes to yourself, he's no raider boss but he doesnt take kindly to people ogling his wives."

This took Blake out of his beauty induced stupor, "wives?"

Britania nodded, "theres three of us, me, Ellie and Isabel." Blake blinked, "why would a man need more than one wife?'

Britania shrugged, "well...Ellie was his first wife but she couldnt bare him any kids, so that became my job, I don't know what isabel is for, she doesn't want to bare any kids and to my knowledge they only consummated on their wedding night...i dont know."

Blake groaned, "I know this is a wasteland but COME ON! Show some restraint!"

Britania, with a mighty eye roll hooked one of her manicured fingers through the collar of Blake's vault suit and led him to the General's quarters, "The Vault dweller to see you, babe."

She relinquished him as a red haired Toddler waddled over to her, "mommah"

As Britania picked the child up with a giggle, The man inside beckoned to Blake, there was only candle light so the figure was sillouetted within. Blake walked in and was immediatley inundated with his Pip boy's geiger counter going off hard, he looked around for the source, what he found was what looked like a sledge hammer but with a head made of what looked like four purposefully damaged Fusion Cells with a small rocket booster attatched to the back of the head.

"Welcome Vault dweller, I am General Dorian Haldis." The deep voice centered his attention back on the man who walked into the light a bit more, Blake jumped back at what he saw.

Dorian was 7ft tall and shirtless, his skin was rough like Super Mutant skin but not green, down his back ran a smooth yet tough looking carapace like that of a mirelurk, his hair and beard were Orange and his fingers were webbed.

"I see you've met one of my wives already." General Haldis said as he began to put on his button up shirt, "I heard your exclaimation about that from across the court yard so I won't bother you about what you think of her." As General Haldis was tucking in his shirt to put on his Chest plate, someone moved in the large bed, "Honey...is it morning already?" A young blonde woman sat up in bed, putting on glasses as she pulled the covers up to her chin, "is that the Vault Dweller?"

General Haldis buttoned his general's coat and gloves over his shirt and chest plate, also sporting the minuteman logo, "yes, this is...what was your name again kid?"

Blake blinked, "oh...uhm...Blake.", General Haldis turned to the woman in bed, "Ellie this is Blake, why don't you get dressed so we can turn on the top light." The young woman shrugged, "kay." she got up and walked to the bathroom totally Naked, however Blake could only really see her outline.

After watching his wife leave to the bathroom, he snapped back to Blake, "so, Blake, what's your mission?'

Blake blinked, "im sorry, Mission?'

Finally, General Haldis put on his General's hat, "yes, every Vault Dweller has a mission thats supposed to change things up here, why the most recent example was project purity in DC, wish we had some clean water here in the Commonwealth...ah well."

Blake slumped his shoulders, he had no clue so much was expected of him, "I uh...im not on any official mission but I'm lookong for the man who killed my wife and stole my 3 month old son."

Suddenly General Haldis's eyes began to glow bright green, "Who did it?" His voice, once so calm and stoic was now trembling with rage. Blake shrugged depressedly, "I don't know...nobody said anything when it happened..."

General Haldis nodded, "we need to get Nick Valentine...he'll be able to help, I'm a shit detective."

The bathroom door opened and Ellie walked out, as she did so she pulled the string on the lamp on the ceiling that lit everything up, revealing that she had gotten dressed in a black duster and a gray scarf over some road leathers with combat boots, wearing a military cap and her glasses as well, "did I hear you say we'd be visiting nick?" She looked super excited at the news. Talking about his problem made him hurt in his heart, especially seeing all the love that General Haldis was getting.

"Yes my love, gather the other two, and Tell Ronnie to round up the troops, we've got a citizen in need."

Ellie ran out the door by Blake who looked back at the General, "so what happens now?"

The General grabbed the radioactive hammer off the wall and let the jaft rest on his shoulder, "now? I figure out who it is we need to Massacre, because anyone who does what this man has done meeds to burn."

Blake suddenly felt elated, this creature, whatever he looked like, was surely a man of substance who really cared. They both walked out into the now sunny day, the entire fort was looking inwards, "alright everyone, This Vault Dweller is on a seeking mission, some man killed his wife and swiped his son, now we're going to Diamond City to figure out what can be done about what, now don't do anything out of the ordinary while im gone, the commonwealth still needs us to fight the good fight, but if you come across any slavers, look for any babies you might find...3 months old or maybe a little older."

After he addressed the troops he turned to shout at the back, "Isabel! Get ready to ship out!"

A figure dressed in a suit of armor and a Minuteman cape walks up, he recognized the Mechanist from Hubris comics, he was incredibly shocked to see someone taking comics so literally, "i'll just be a minute." She says in a heavy modulated voice before going into the barracks.

"And me?' Britania strutted down off the wall, still holding the todler, "do I get to come?"

The General shrugs as once more, Blake cant take his eyes off her, "sure, suit up and let Preston know that little Jackson needs babysitting."

"Dahdee' the toddler reaches out to his father, who drops his hammer that Blake could only now see was labeled Nukebringer to the ground before taking the boy in his arms, Britania leaving for the Barracks "hey there Jack. I'm going on a little trip, do you want me to bring you back a soda?"

Jack giggles, "soda! Yes please." General Haldis nuzzled his son with a smile, "I love you, now go find Preston, your mommies and I have to go.'

After the General had set the child down, he took Blake to the Barracks, within he saw all 3 wives gully suited up, Ellie now held a quad barreled Rocket Launcher, The Mechanist's trusty eyebot sparks was floating by her side as she cleaned Protectron's gaze and Britania was suited up in a revealing helmetless Rocketgirl costume, however it had obviously been fitted with tactical pouches, she stood in the white Belly shirt and tight white oants that accentuated her rear. she pulled the thigh high boots up her long legs, punctuating the motion by drawing what looked like a red squirt gun from the holster on her hip, "we're ready, babe." She giggled, once more setting Blake's heart on fire with her eyes.

"W-wait..." Blake looked at her costume, "she's going to do battle with a SQUIRT GUN!?"

General Haldis patted Blake on his shoulder, "yes. Now get some gear, we're going to diamond city, that means we have to go through supermutant territory."

Blake blinked in confusion, "super...Mutant?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the group left the Castle they walked towards a large APC with the Minutemen logo on the side. Blake trailing behind carrying a 10mm pistol, "uh guys? Is that an operational APC? General Haldis smiles back at Blake, "that it is, do you really think I'd bring all 3 of my wives and risk their safety with a STROLL through supermutant territory?" Blake shrugged, "I didnt know you had one."

The five pile into the APC, Sparks the eyebot floating over to sit in Isabel's lap as both Britania and Ellie scoot as close as they could to the driver's seat, "Blake, do you think you could operate the gun?" General Haldis looked back at Blake, who nodded, "yes! I can do that."

With that, Blake walked up the ladder that led to the gun on the roof, "so what's a supermutant?" Blake asked as the APC started up, the hum of the engine was all too familiar to him as it toom his mind back to his military service, "They're tall, Green and ugly., amd they HATE humans" Replied General Haldis as the APC lurched forward.

Upon entering the city ruins, Blake became slowly aware of nets full of meat chunks hanging from crude structures, he nearly vomits when the stench gets to him, "oh...good god..."

General Haldis laughed, "dont get too rattled, they'll be around."

Blake jumped in his seat when he heard what sounded like a war horn and then deep voiced shouting, "STUPID HU-MAN!" And like that he saw them, running across the street from a large building, he opened fire on them, the massive KHROOM of the small ordinance cannon sending shockwaves down his spine as he blew a hole through the one holding a mini nuke, triggering the explosive and taking out the whole group, "NICE!" Shouts Ellie, "how'd you know to take out the suicider first?"

Blake looked down into the APC, "the what?"

Suddenly Blake was grabbed and pulled out of his seat by a gigantic green hairless dog, the thing had his arm in its teeth and began to shake him about as more Super Mutants converged on the APC, Blake was screaming for his life, unsure of what else to do, he couldnt reach his gun.

He looks up just in time to see the door of the now halted APC swing downwards, taking out a Super Mutant that had gotten too close, from the cabin strode The three women, openong fire on the brutes, Ellie laughed maniacally as she let loose with her quad launcher, leveling a whole group of them in one shot, The Mechanist began to open fire with Protectron's Gaze, the modified full auto laser shotgun mowing down the advancing horde as Britania took aim at the dog who had made tatters of Blake's vault suit, "i'm doomed." He groaned as she centered her shot.

However, when she pulled the trigger, the blast of glowing blue liquid that struck the Mutant hound combusted and caused the hound to fly back, Blake got up and grabbed his gun, however he was unable to move his ragged arm and he yelled in pain as he tried to. The three girls had efficiently quelled the yelling horde by reducing them to more meaty chunks than their ill gotten loot, and they pulled him back into the APC, "alright honey, lets go, we've got him!" Cooed Britania as she opened the medkit inside the APC.

The door shut again and The General continued driving as Britania dressed the wound that was Blake's entire arm. "By the way, Blake." Whispered Britania in Blake's ear, "I wanted to let you know that I see the way you look at me." Blake's face turned bright red as she continued, "and its a look I am very used to, and I dont mind it, but I'm gonna nip this potential obsession in the bud and tell you I dont feel the same way."

Part of Blake was relieved that she wasnt mad, but yet another part of him wanted to cry, "listen, I've been sought after by men all my life, Dorian was the first human being to ask me what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, IF I wanted to be something more...he didn't just assume because of the Pheromones I naturally secrete that I'd be his perfect Love toy...well I am...but I'm HIS." She jabbed her glove clad thumb back at General Haldis who either couldnt hear them or was doing a good job of pretending.

Blake blinked, "pheromones?" Britania made an "aha" noise like she was a teacher leading some slow students to the true meaning of a question, "yes, I may be naturally beautiful, but the real reason that your heart sticks in your throat every time you look into my eyes is because of a mutation I inherited from my mother that makes men...easy to manipulate and downright subservient if I put my mind to it...but not Dorian...he's stubborn as a mule and my charms dont seem to work on him."

Blake stared at her as she wrapped his arm in gauze, "then how did you end up together?"

Britania sighed, "well he'll deny this but...he didnt propose to me, I proposed to him...because after he saw we were falling for one another, he wanted to make sure it was really my choice." Blake's eyes got glassy as he couldnt help but think of his own wife, "that's...dedication."

Isabel let out a modulated sigh directly across from them, "That takes me back."

The loud Modulated voice made the General and Ellie who was sitting in his lap aware of the convo and turned to see his other two wives sitting in the very back with Blake, "now don't you two go dumping all your worries and woes on that poor man, he's lost a wife and a kid in the same day!"

Ellie huffed and settled back watching the road while Britania laughed, "babe Isabel and I were just bragging about how awesome and sweet you are." Blake put his arm into a sling and turns around, "yea, no problems here...just feels."

Isabel went quiet again and Blake frowned, "did I say something?" Britania shook her head, "no, Isabel just isnt a people person, she prefers machines, so when she decided to help the commonwealth, she used robots."

Blake amiled, "hence the mechanist? He was my favorite character from Hubris comics." Isabel looked up at him, "the mechanist was a comic book character? I thought it was just some made up character, created by a kid."

Blake smirked, "I had all 6 issues of the Mechanist vs the silver shroud...before the war."

Isabel sighed, "I...am I a good mechanist?" Blake nodded profusely, "you even got the voice right, if I still had the comics I'd let you read all of them...i had a collection." Suddenly General Haldis shouted in his booming voice, "Diamond City! We're here!"

Britania rushed over and looked out the front windows, her smile turned upside down, "why's the door closed?"

The back door opened and the five disembarked, Isabel and Sparks helping Blake walk to the massive gates, "damn you let me in!" The voice of a distressed woman catching their attention, a quick look in that direction revealed a woman in a press cap and wearing a red leather trench coat, "damn you danny sullivan you let me in this minute...I swear to christ..."

Blake looked at General Haldis, "she's angry." General Haldis nods, "very...probably because she got locked out." He strode over with Ellie and Britania behind him, "excuse me..." General Haldis spoke into the speaker, "This is General Haldis of the Commonwealth Minutemen, Please open and allow for entry, we urgently need to speak with Nick Valentine."

With that, the door began to open and the woman turned to look at the group, "so,...who's the vault dweller, General?"

General Haldis squinted at her as they followed the girls who were ushering Blake inside, "we need to get you to see a doctor."

"Do I know you?" Asked General Haldis, the girl answered, "no sir, but I've heard of you, my name's piper, I own Publick occurances in Diamond city, so...why are you going to see nick?"

General Haldis exhaled, "well you see...his wife was murdered and his son was taken, we need to find the bastard that did it."

Piper's eyes brightened up, "hrm...I may have found my next story." Haldis groaned, "ask him first."

The eager reporter rushed after Blake and the three women as The Mayor rushed out of the gate, "Piper wright you insideous muckraker! I aught to have that printing press scrapped for parts!"

Blake stopped in his tracks as Mcdonough stood, his fists clenched in front of the door, Piper strode up to him and put a finger in his face, "is that a statement, mr. Mayor? Care to elaborate on how you want to shut down the press?"

Blake was incredibly frazzled, he used his good arm to adjust the collar of his vault suit, "oh I know you dirty wastelanders havent forgotten the US constitution?!"

Mcdonough turns to Blake, "and whats that got to do with ANYTHING about this mr..."

"Edge, Blake Edge and it has EVERYTHING to do with it, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and protest, if you shut down the press you might as well paint Diamond city as red as china."

These words made The mayor bluster a bit but then he stepped aside, "FINE! But you can consider you AND your new friends on notice Piper!" With that, the group entered Diamond city, "wow...its..a baseball field."

Ellie looked at Blake, "a what?" General Haldis laughed, "god I do NOT envy you, living in your era with a deadly sport like Baseball..." Blake turned and looked at General Haldis with an incredulous face, "what do you think Baseball was like?"

"GET YER SWATTERS HERE! FINEST BEATING STICKS THIS SIDE OF THE COMMONWEALTH!"

Blake looked from the sales man on the other side of the market and then back to General Haldis, "do you think that baseball was some sort of Gladitorial battle? No those sticks were meant to hit balls..." before he could say much more, the girls dragged Blake over and sat him down in the Doctor's chair, "im FINE!" Blake was more scared of a stone age surgeon than anything else.

"Oh you're anything but...you may have radiation poisoning from that Mutant hound bite." Blake looked up to see a man with goggles wearing a labcoat walk out of the buildibg behind him, "I could treat it if you want...if you have the caps."

Blake blinked as he saw Britania hand the doctor a plastic bag full of bottle caps, "you are FUCKING kidding me...polygamy, SUPER MUTANTS...wrong baseball and now CAPS for CASH!?"

The doctor sighed, "Vault Dwellers are all the same." Blake turned to the Doctor, "have you met many?" The doctor shakes his head as he pulls out a syringe, "no but you fit all the steriotypes, I'm gonna put you under before I start the operation."

After the needle went in, Blake slowly fell into yet another uneasy slumber...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Blake came to, his arm was in a more concisely made medical sling and the girls were all gathered in a group around the General who was sitting across from Blake while Sparks was trying to get snippets of conversation, Blake got up and walked over, "So what's all the fuss about, guys?" The Girls all smiled as they heard Blake's voice, "Look at that, up and about." smirked Britannia, "You're tougher than we gave you credit for." General Haldis stood up, "Alright you three, give the man some room, we have tough news to break after all."

Blake groaned and slumped his shoulders, "What NOW?!" General Haldis once more patted Blake on his good shoulder with a sad look on his face, "Well Nick, our detective is missing, but-" Blake let out another groan, General Haldis resumed talking, "BUT, we know where he is, his secretary told us." Blake stopped mid groan and looked up at him, "so what are we waiting for! lets get to the APC!"

Blake hopped up and took his 10mm from the desk behind him and strode away from the doctor's corner shop to the entrance, this sudden change in mood prompted swift responses from the rest of the group, who began to run to catch up with him, "Wow Blue, can't believe you're already up and about!" Blake turned to see Piper standing there with a camera hanging around her neck and a notepad in hand, pencil at the ready, "Can I get that interview now?"

Blake shook his head, "Sorry lady, I gotta go get some Gumshoe out of trouble." Piper sulked a bit, "Well fine, I'll be here when you get back." The others have caught up to Blake now, "You're going to drive the APC all by yourself?" asked Haldis with a wry smile, "yes, and you're going to be on the gun this time, I'm done being shocked and disgusted with this new world, when we go to get Nick I want the entire wasteland to know that I'm not afraid."

The girls looked at General Haldis who shrugged, "If you really remember how to pilot one, I'll be on the outside though." Blake shrugged, "Alright then General, let's get going."

with that, the group returns to the ATV and began their trek to Park Street, this time with Ellie in the gunners seat and Britania sitting next to Isabel in the back, there was silence for a good bit before Britannia bent forward to ask Isabel a question, "So...why DON'T you spend more time in the bed with Dorian, Ellie and I?" Isabel let out a nervous modulated chuckle as she fidgeted with her Minuteman cape, "To tell you the truth I...I'm afraid of intimacy and I don't like the thought of being Naked..it's why I almost never take the suit off or...join you, I don't know what that's supposed to be called..." Blake interrupted, "Sex repulsion, usually happens to people who are referred to by science as Asexuals, these are people that don't exactly find the act of sex enjoyable or even justified so they just...don't, as for the intimate, naked thing, I'm pretty sure that ties in as well." Isabel sits up and looks at Blake and then at Britannia, "yes that...not to say that I don't Love Dorian, I do with all my heart..." Blake interjects again, "You can still be romantically attracted without being Sexual about it, my little sister was that way...oh god she's long gone...on god..."

Britannia blew him a kiss that made his heart jump, "Don't think about it, that was the past, this is now." Blake felt her words calm him, then he remembered their conversation from earlier, this was her Hormonal influence again, but he didn't really mind as long as it felt pleasant.

as they pulled up to Park Street Station, Blake gasped as he saw GANGSTERS! honest to god mafia men all dressed up in the normal duds carrying Sub Machine guns, shotguns and pistols, they pointed weapons, "stand and deliver scumbags." the sight made Blake duck, but there was no gunfire, he peeked out the windshield to look as General Haldis stepped in front the APC, the Nuke bringer hanging to his side, "You want that I should blast them, hun?" asked Ellie as she trained the gun on them, "No Ellie, it's been a while since I got to take on Skinny Malone's boys." Blake, Isabel and Britania were all now pressed into the narrow driver's area to watch General Haldis work.

The General stepped up to the line of Gangsters and stared the largest one directly in the eye, "This isn't a fight you want, son, back off before you do something you'll regret." The foolhardy Triggerman aimed directly at General Haldis's face, Blake shouted from the APC, "GET AWAY! HE'S GONNA KILL YOU!" Britannia however, utilizing her unique skill, silenced him with a kiss on the cheek, "HUSH and watch the show." by now Ellie had joined her other two sister wives in the driver's area.

The Triggerman emptied both barrels of the double barrel shotgun and General Haldis didn't even move, he just stood there looking angry as the pellets just fell out of the small indentations they had made in his face, they didn't even break skin. "Now what did I tell you, Boy?" with that, General Haldis brought The Nuke bringer up with one hand, his thumb triggering the rocket engine in the back, the resulting impact send the Triggerman's arms, shotgun and all flying into the air, landing next to the other Triggermen, who immediately opened fire, shredding what was left of their unfortunate compatriot and not at all phasing General Haldis, who marched towards them as they desperately gave back. As he saw they were trying to escape, General Haldis rushed them, running the posse down and ending them with his massive radioactive sledgehammer till there was only one left.

The others saw it was safe and disembarked, Blake bolting to General Haldis as he picked up the living gangster, "Nick Valentine." he said once, The Triggerman shakily pointed at the station door, "Vault 114, the boss's been using it as his hideout ever since we moved here...PLEASE don't kill me!"

The General grinned evilly at the trigger man and used a knife at his side to cut the forearm of the arm that was holding up the Gangster, wiping some of the dark red blood on the Triggerman's forehead, "W-what're you doing?" Haldis laughed, "If you lied to me, I'll know where to find you, now go." he drops the poor man who books it as fast as he can the opposite direction.

"stick behind me." General Haldis strode through the open door, Blake and the girls following cautiously behind, guns all at the ready as they entered the station.

The first thing they saw was a ticket booth with a metal door and a bend round the corner, Blake nearly had a small heart attack as General Haldis knocked on it nonchalantly, "wait a sec guys...comin!" With a wicked smile, General Haldis waited for the feeling of someone directly on the other side to thrust with his shoulder, dislodging the rusty door from its moorings and bashing the triggerman on the other sid, sending him off his feet.

The General strode into the room and let the door fall on top of the triggerman he'd just knocked down before mulching the other triggerman who was standing mortified with a bowl of noodles in his hands, Haldis then vaulted the counter and continued down the hall to the stairwell.

Still hanging behind with his gun at the ready, Blake now trailed behind the General's harem with terror in his eyes, "what IS he!?'

Ellie turned back towards Blake, her blonde hair swishing a bit as she did, "he's mad. Nick is one of Our best friends."

The sound of explosives going off shook Blake to his core, "AAAHAHAHAHAA! YOU COWARDS!" Laughed the General from downstairs, Isabel beckoned, "come on! Sparks go back Dorian up!" The eyebot warbled a response and flew on ahead. Britania sighed and slipped around the corner, only to be blown off her feet by another massive explosion, Ellie and Isabel rushed to her side as Blake heard a yell from General Haldis.

He peeked around the corner down the stairs to see a few of the surviving triggermen standing over a massive hole in the ground, "look at your dumb Minuteman ass, bull in a goddamn chinashop, walked right into our trap, now yer gonna die.'

With that, the gangsters all prepaired to lob grenades of varying types down into the hole, "guys..." Blake, realizing the girls were tending to their sister wife, took aim at the grenade in the lead gangster's hand, blowing it before he could throw it, destroying the man's entire upper arm, "GAH! WHO THE FUCK DID THAT!?" The gangster staggered back and fell on his back as the others all turned to look around, absentmindedly stowing the grenades they hadn't armed yet, "did you bring friends, Minuteman?" Asked the next one as he took several belongings off the first.

Down in the pit, General Haldis yelled, "hey you son of a bitch, you see these stars? IM THE MOTHERFUCKING GENERAL! I dont even need a gun to take care of the likes of you!" The second in command was not having it however and had his men take aim, emptying their guns into the pit as Blake, not knowing what else to do, pedaled back to the group, "is Brit ok?"

Isabel and Ellie nodded, Britania herself was back on her feet, Blood trailing down her forehead into her face, but not bad enough to impede her vision, "wheres Dorian?"

Blake Jumped as an inhuman bellow sounded from downstairs, followed by angry crunching and tearing noises, Blake and the girls all peeked to see General Haldis stooped over the body of the second in command, surrounded by dead gangsters.

"Holy shit..."

In response to the noise, General Haldis turned with a savage grunt to reveal that his jaw had unhinged and half a torso complete with arm was hanging from his mouth, as the group looked on he swallowed and the arm slowly slid down the General's throat

"Dorian!" Gasped Isabel, a little bit of disgust in her voice

"Baby!" Yells Ellie, glad her husband was alive

"Dorian Gerheart Haldis you put that down right now!" Britania strode over with motherly authority and pulled the severed arm from her Husband's distended mouth, shaking it in his face, "we do NOT eat people! You'll make the mutations worse!"

Blake was completely flabbergasted and on the verge of being sick as the other two aproached General Haldis, his jaw snaping back into place with a sickening crunch, "s-sorry i just...i snapped."

Blake walked a little closer but decided to not get too close, "you alright to continue, General?"

The General stood up tall again and shouldered the Nukebringer, "hell yea."

The rest of the walk was totally uneventful, till of course they reached the vault door.

"Vault 114...with the damn door shut." General Haldis groaned, looking at his hole filled clothes he let out another groan, "im gonna have to start sewing my own things aren't I, Isabel?"

Isabel shook her head, "Sewing is one of the few girly things I get to do, lemme do a ballistic weave this time?" General Haldis smiled in spite of himself at her enthusiasm, "alright, if thats what you want."

Blake only now noticed that the General did in fact seem to be bleeding from several points on his body, he HAD been injured in that fight, his Empathic cringe at the pain he must be in was punctuated by sheer frustration at the obsticle in their way, which was once more eclipsed with relief, because Blake remembered he had a pip boy, which could be used to enter vaults, closed door or no.

"Guys I have a pip boy! I can get us in!"

With that he ran up the metal steps, ready to open the vault and save Nick!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Blake stuck the plug into the receiver and punched the button, just like he'd done to escape Vault 111, the door wrenched itself open with the metal grinding of a sawmill, effectively arousing all the denizens within to their presence.

"Why's the door have to be so god damn loud?!" Blake heard a man ask out loud from out of his visual range, Blake looked back to see that General Haldis had collapsed with his back against a pillar, Isabel was mumbling to herself as she tended to her husband's wounds, the other two were crouched on either side of him, trying to keep his eyes open,

Ellie doing her best to not cry, "honey, baby keep your eyes on me!"

Britannia getting a little bit angry, "Dorian I swear to Christ if you leave me now I'm not sure I can go on..."

Then Isabel as she flailed a bit, knocking both the other girls down, "BOTH OF YOU shut up and go help Blake, I need room to work...SPARKS!" The now damaged eyebot floated over and delivered a small shock to General Haldis which made him jump and gasp, "HOLYCHRIST...dont do that again..."

Isabel slapped him across the face, "if you pass out while i'm doing this there's a high chance you won't wake up."

The General smiled warmly as he caressed the side of the Mechanist's helmet like it was her cheek, "wouldn't do for me to go leaving you three alone would it?"

Ellie and Britania both walked up to Blake, armed and ready, a look of womanly fury in their eyes, "lets kill some thugs."

Britania raised her quantum gun and Ellie primed her marginally more threatening bayonet laden quad missile launcher, looking deranged as she took aim at the first gangsters to peek round the corner, "SHIT!" one of them shouted as Ellie and Britannia let loose, causing the vault to rock on its foundations, destroying all the gangsters in the entry hall.

Blake had just decided to let them do their thing and was now sitting next to Isabel as she worked on her husband.

when the stimpaks had done their work, General Haldis stood, popping his neck, "thanks babe."

Isabel got in his way, "um, where do you think you're going?"

General Haldis pointed into the vault, "i'll be fine."

"Dorian please..." Isabel hugged him close, Sparks beeping sadly as he floated down towards them, General Haldis patted her back, "I'll be fine hon, just keep close to me."

The General walked into the vault, patting Blake on the shoulder, "Good man, now let's clear these fuckers out and find Nick shall we?"

After walking down a few empty hallways, General Haldis held up his massive hand, in the tenuous silence, Blake heard talking, "You hear that? sounds like massive footsteps."

Blake gulped, looking up at General Haldis who put a hand on his face, "Sorry guys." Britannia stroked the General's chin, "Shhhh..." She made a move to step through the door at the end of the hallway but Haldis stopped her, "I got this."

all 3 of his wives moved to stop him but before they could he'd already slammed the door up with a massive hand and jumped down the ramp straight into enemy gunfire!

"Gee-whatduhfUHCK!" The gangsters all opened fire on him as he rushed from opponent to opponent, lopping off heads and splattering corpses, "What is this freak?!" Blake peaked out and saw the door at the bottom of the stairs shut tight, General Haldis slammed The Nukebringer into it but it didn't budge, "Right...This is one I need to use Finesse on."

Britannia, Isabel, sparks and Ellie all rushed down with Blake behind them as General Haldis stowed the Nukebringer at his back before hooking both fingers under the door and lifting it up with all his might, the mechanism buzzing in vain as the door was forced up.

Blake gasped as the door opened and revealed another gangster with a rocket launcher, "Eat this you freak!" he fired a single rocket that General Haldis caught in his teeth, grabbing it out of his mouth and chucking it at the gangster who fired it, the rocket made contact and exploded, splattering the hallway in blood.

finally they entered into a large three level atrium where there was only a single gangster standing on the third level, looking into a porthole window at the top, "How you doing in there, Valentine? gettin hungry? Want a snack?" General Haldis was taking baby steps to disguise his massive gait, The lack of thumping gave Blake the opportunity to listen in as Nick Valentine spoke, "Keep talking, Meat head, it gives Skinny Malone more time to think about how he's gonna bump you off!" Blake chuckled to himself, he did sound like a gumshoe, it was almost a satirical tone.

The gangster replied, "Don't Gimme dat crap Valentine, you know nothin you got nothin."

Nick taunted further, "Oh yea? I swear I saw him write your name in that black book of his."

The convo would have continued if General Haldis hadn't lobbed his hammer, it was a clumsy throw to be sure, but when it hit the man on the third floor, he went splat against the wall and fell to the floor immediately, silent and motionless, leaving a bloody splat mark on the window.

"NICK!" shouted Ellie, Nick rushed over to the window, "Who was that? was that Ellie Woodman?"

it was a mad rush up to the third floor to the door, "hey nick." Ellie waved through the window, "hey."

"Ellie Woodman...never thought you'd be the one to save MY bacon."

Britannia walked into view, "he sounds handsome, lemme see!"

Nick raises an eyebrow, "and company?"

Isabel used the terminal to open the door and General Haldis steps into the office, "And Husband."

Britannia posed sexily next to her husband, smiling at Nick, "and Wife."

Isabel poked her head in, "and wife."

Nick looks up at his rescuers, "Minuteman General Dorian Haldis? Didn't figure for one who'd take multiple wives, let alone a danger prone rocket girl like Ellie here."

General Haldis smiled, "Ellie and her sister wives are my favorite things about life these days, but more to the point. We have a Vault Dweller here who needs your more immediate attention."

Blake walks in, "Hello Mr. Valentine...My son was kidnapped...his name is Shaun, he's less than a year old, i don't know who took him or where he went."

Nick nodded, "A missing kid, huh? well you came to the right man, if not the right place."

General Haldis looks down at Nick, "What happened to you? how'd you get in here?"

Nick groaned and lit up a cigarette, "oh, I've been cooped up in here for weeks. Turns out the runaway daughter I came to get ain't kidnapped, she's Skinny Malone's new flame, and she's got a mean streak."

General Haldis groaned, "ew, gross."

Nick laughed, "yea, exactly." he turned to Blake, "Now, you've got troubles and I'm glad to help, but now aint the time, let's blow this joint, then we'll talk."

Britannia strutted over towards Nick as he got his things from around the room, "you're...not human." She looked him up and down.

Nick smiled as he stowed his pipe revolver in his coat, "nice of ya to notice, Dollface, I'm what the guys down in Diamond City call a Synth, a Synthetic organism."

Blake looked at him as well, totally desensitized at this point, "are those wire ties holding those chords to your chassis?"

Nick sighed, "we can talk about my self repair jobs later, lets get out of here, follow me."

General Haldis, Blake and the girls all fell into step behind Nick as he showed them the way down the stairs to the way out.

as Nick walked towards the next door however, he flattened himself against the wall, "Wait! I can hear some of them coming, how do you wanna play this?"

There was a short pause in which the group listened as several trigger men walked through the lobby on the other side of the door, "He was just supposed to go check on Nick! how can that take so fucking long?"

"HEY DINO! quit razzin that detective and get down here! where the hell could he be?"

General Haldis bellowed "AAAAAUGH!" as he charged into the open hall, the girls following suit as the three triggermen gasp and fumble for their guns.

Nick looked to his right to see Blake also flattened against the wall next to him, "Why aren't you running out there with your friends?"

Black laughed, "And get in their way?"

Nick shrugged, "Good point there...what was your name?"

"Blake." he said, "Pleased to meet you at last, Mr. Valentine."

General Haldis walked back in, "Guys we can go now, the coast is clear."

Nick chuckled, "Wouldn't be so sure, I can already hear those fat feet of Skinny's positioning himself in some doorway to block our escape."

and with that, The group continued towards the exit door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

as predicted, Skinny and his boys were standing on the other end of the door, A woman in a sequin dress standing next to him.

"Nicky, what are ya doin? You come to my house! shoot up, my guys! you have any idea how much this is gonna set me back?."

Valentine held up his hand as the girls and General Haldis raised their weapons, "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for yer two-timing dame, Skinny, you ought to tell her to write home more often."

Blake chuckled, this was sounding more and more like a Silver Shroud comic.

Blake's thoughts were cut off by the shrill annoying voice of the woman in the sequin dress, "Aw...poor little valentine, ashamed you got beat up by a girl? I'll just run on home to daddy shall I?"

Skinny spoke up as he scanned the group that was in front of him, "Should have left it alone, Nicky, This ain't the old neighborhood, here in this vault I'm king of the castle, you hear me? And I ain't lettin some private Dick and his crazy friends shut us down now that I got a good thing goin!"

General Haldis bends down to whisper to Nick, "Let me just..."

Nick looks up at Haldis with an annoyed expression, "Will you cool it, I'm workin here."

The woman began to shriek, "I told you we should have just killed him! but then you had to get all sentimental! all that crap about Old times..."

Skinny shouted back, "Darla I'm handling this! Skinny Malone's always got things under control!"

Darla looks at the rest of the group, "OH really? then who're they? Valentine must've brought them in to rub us out!"

General Haldis beat his chest plate with one of his fists, "I'm not here to rub anyone out, I'm just here for nick, anyone that gets in our way is who gets rubbed out, understand me?"

General Haldis takes a step forward and the mob guys back up a bit, Tightening their grip on their guns, Ellie, Britannia, and Isabel laugh audibly as the men with the guns in this situation obviously had no idea who they were dealing with.

"You bastards are a bunch of yellow cowards!" Darla steps forward and snaps her bat by hitting General Haldis across the face, Haldis was unfazed and picked her up by her arm and growled at Skinny, "I'm taking this."

Skinny nods and drops his gun, letting the group pass.

"Holy hell, General!" Laughed Nick

The General looked around once they were out of the vault, "I...forgot how we got down here."

Nick pats the General on the back as Darla continues to struggle against General Haldis's grip, "I got it from here, big guy, you just don't let that dame loose."

Darla ineffectively kicked General Haldis, "I swear when you put me down I'm gonna guy fuck you up 6 ways from Sunday!"

Haldis chuckles darkly, "If you try, my wives will be on you before you have the chance, know when you're beaten and just stand down."

Darla spit in The General's eye as the group followed nick towards the exit ladder, he growled at her and squeezed her arm, she felt the bone start to bend, she screamed, "yea, not a good idea, now shut up and stay still."

Darla went limp and The General threw the woman over his shoulder.

Finally, they came to the exit and all began to climb out

Once they reached the top, Nick looked skyward at the dark clouds, "ah the commonwealth sky, never thought anything so naturally ominous could be so inviting."

General Haldis grunted noncommittally and began to walk, only to be stopped by Nick, "I didn't tell anyone where I was going, how did you know where I was?"

The General smirked, "it was that cute secretary of yours...do you need her badly? She'd make me a good wife."

Nick sighed, "you stay away from her...I need to give her a raise...now, Blake, was it? You were talking about your son? I want you to come by my office in Diamond City...we'll go over the details there."

The group offered Nick a ride home, but he said something about "appreciating freedom" so they just hopped in the APC and rode all the way back to Diamond City with no trouble from anybody, not even the super mutants.

The General and his trio of wives went off with Darla to home plate whilst Blake went to pay that reporter a visit.

The way blake figured, the more people that knew about his story, the more help he might get, depending on who he was talking about.

Blake walked up to the building labeled Publick occurrences, "its spelled wrong." He chuckles to himself.

"It IS NOT!" A little girl shouts at him, making him jump, "Hwa?" He looked to the left and saw a little girl standing on a cinderblock, "what did you say?"

The little girl turns to him, "during the American great depression, news printers were charged for every letter they printed...so words like Color lost that in...innoc...stupid U in the center and Publick with a K got turned into Public with a C, and that's why we spell things differently from the UK...and why my sister named it Publick occurrences...with a CK."

Blake smirked a bit as he listened to the schpeal, "I see...and do you know what the UK is?"

The little girl shrugged, "I ain't an encyclopedia Mr, Just kinda knowledgeable on account of my sister being a reporter."

She salutes him, "Name's Nattalie Wright! Nice ta finally meet you!"

Blake exaggeratedly salutes her back with a smile on his face, "your sister in? She asked to interview me."

Nat nodded and pointed to the door, which Blake took and entered into the surprisingly dingy newsroom piper called home. She was bent over the old-timey printing press, "hello?"

Piper looks up and her face brightens, "HEY! how are ya holdin up, Blue?"

Blake blinks, "why do you keep calling me that?"

Piper giggles, "because you're a vault dweller? You're wearing the jumpsuit and everything, that and the Pip-boy, the fish out of water look...dead giveaways."

"Oh...I see...well I'm here about that interview." Blake responded

Piper grabbed her pen and paper, "It'll be good to give folks an outside perspective on the commonwealth for once... let's begin." Piper sat down and offered Blake a seat too, which he gladly took.

Piper began with, "So I know you're from a vault...how would you describe your time...on the inside."

Blake sighed, "there's not much to tell...my family and I were frozen, we didn't spend much time in the actual vault..."

Piper let out a nervous laugh, "wait...they boxed you up in a fridge? Are you saying you were alive before the war?"

Blake nodded grimly, "yes, I'm over 200 years old."

Piper's eyes widened, "oh my god...the man out of time...so you've seen the commonwealth, how does it compare to your old life?"

Blake smiled a bit, really having to think about this one, he remembered how his wife Monica would come back from her job at a local law firm and complain about how her unruly hair was trying to get her fired, if he had known how they would end up, he wouldn't have even listened, he'd have held her and never let go, so many afternoons wasted just...doing nothing...now she was dead, the world was dead and people were ignorantly shuffling about the ruins with little to no idea what they once were.

but then he remembered, he was sitting in a city that was made out of a baseball field, a reinforced concrete edifice, walls for human beings to hide behind, for them to love, to do business, to govern and be governed, to live, to create. he thought about General Haldis and the Minutemen doing what they could for anyone who needed help, even a complete stranger from a time long ago.

He had his answer, "It gives me hope...seeing how everyone is doing more than survive out here, rebuilding the world...It makes me glad that I'm here to see it."

Piper scribbles the words down, "That's...surprisingly inspired, Blue, we're definitely quoting that...now for the last part of our interview I want you to make a statement to Diamond city directly, the threat of kidnapping is all but ignored in the commonwealth, everyone wants to pretend it just doesn't happen...what would you say to someone who's lost a loved one but might be too scared or too numb to the world to start looking for them?"

Blake's eyes widen, "wait...people just ignore kidnappings!?"

Piper nods sadly, "well, Blue, people are just...numb...they always say it could have been worse, I'm not always sure it can be worse...so that's why I want to show my readers what keeps you going, so...what do you want to say?"

Blake thinks for a bit, then responds, "no matter how much you want to give up...dont...you have to have hope that you'll see them again, or...at least that you'll know the truth."

Piper nodded, "a strong note to end on for sure, Blue, well that's everything, this is gonna take a while to put together but I think your story is going to give Diamond City plenty to talk about...catch you later." She winked at him as she stood up, then she noticed he hadn't gotten up at all, "you need help up, Blue?"

Blake was indeed unable to leverage himself out of the horrid divet in the old ass couch, "how long have you owned this couch!?"

Piper laughed, "Its a family heirloom..." she extended a hand and Blake took it, pulling himself free and dusting himself off, "that explains a lot...anyway, I gotta go see a gumshoe about my missing kid, I'll see you around."

Piper nodded, nonchalantly watching his butt as he exited the building, "hopefully under less morbid circumstances..." she giggled to herself as the door closed.

Blake's eyes were lambasted by sunlight as he stepped into Diamond city once more, Nat giving him a nod as he walked down to Home plate where General Haldis and his wives were handing Darla off to a man in a gas mask, "come along sweetie, we're gonna get you home." The man said as he began marching her out the front door.

"Ah! Blake! How did the interview go?" Asks Haldis as Blake walks up, "it went..." he sighed, "would you mind showing me to Nick's place?"

The General looked at Britania and she stood, "Alright, come along." She began to strut towards the front door, the eyes of every man in the bar following her as she passed by, until she got to the front and a man in raider leathers dropped to his knees in front of her, "Are you an angel?"

Everyone else in the bar began cheering as the man clutched at Britania's tight pants, "Please...please..." General Haldis let out another roar, one he'd only ever heard before the General mulched and ate a group of fully armed raiders, it shut everyone up and instead put all eyes of the General, fear permeated the bar as Britania kneed the man now fondling her ass in the face, breaking his nose and making him fall backward.

before his body even hit the floor, she was out the door with Blake in tow, "How many times a day does that happen?" Blake asks as she guides him past the noodle stand, "Inside enclosed spaces, too many times to count."

As they reached the end of the market street, Blake pulled his hand out of Britania's gloved one, "so wait, I know I asked this once before, but what IS General Haldis? Is he human? Is he some sort of mutant?"

Britania sighed as she turned back to Blake, "why now?"

Blake shivvered, "I saw him getting dressed, saw his carapace, gills and his rough skin, I saw him taking bullets like it was no big thing, then EATING those raiders...I feel like i need to know going forward.'

Britania sighed, "My Husband is a good man...he just so happens to have spent most of his life in irradiated areas, before he met any of us he was like this."

Blake sighed, "and he's still a good guy? Thats nuts..."

The doe eyed hispanic beauty rolled her eyes, "some of us dont have to dig too deep for good like that." With that, she hooked a gloved finger around his collar and dragged him through the back alley like a mother dragging her child all the way to the Valentine Detective Agency.

"He's in there." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he felt himself stand at attention as her breath tickled his ear, as she whispered, "Come find us when gou and Nick find anything out." And like that she strutted away again, rounding the corner and vanishing.

Blake really wished she would stop doing that.


End file.
